House of Hades etc Alternate Storyline
by Laurenzo-n
Summary: Something is happening to Percy. Tartarus if affecting him in unforeseen ways, and Annabeth can't stop it. Spin off/alternate storyline starting in the House of Hades, no OCs, possibly OOCs depending on how you look at it. Mostly Annabeth's POV, with other characters occasionally.
1. Pilot Chapter

**Ok, let's just get this straight. I have never before written a fanfiction, but I had this idea for a story so here it is. I also probably won't put author's notes at the beginning unless they are absolutely necessary, otherwise they will be put at the bottom of each chapter. The story is an "alternate storyline" starting from the House of Hades and continuing however long I feel like continuing it. Mostly from Annabeth's POV, with some others for dramatic irony. Don't expect super frequent uploads, but expect** _ **maybe a few per month.**_ **Feel free to comment any suggestions to improve my mediocre writing (be nice, please)! K that's all. Word out, yo. B-)**

It all started when we fell into Tartarus. I should have seen something off with Percy right away. The coldness in his eyes, his calculating words, both of which were so out of character. The strangeness of his behaviour should have sparked a realisation in me about what was happening. Few mortals, demigod or human, had gone through Tartarus and survived. That's what we thought we knew. I now understand why they fed us lies. It was to prevent our hopes and minds from shattering into thousands of tiny shards.

Percy and I were surrounded by the _arai_ , the curses. At least, I think we were, as I couldn't see a thing. I could hear Percy calling my name, feel him grab my hand and rush us away from the sounds of beating, leathery wings and mockery. The taunts they offered were cruel and relentless and I could feel Percy's anger building as he gripped my hand tighter. He released my now limp fingers from his grasp, sounds of fighting following soon afterward. As Percy killed one of the _arai_ , I felt intense feeling of woe and loss wash over me like the waves of the Cocytus.

"Percy, why did you leave me?" my mournful voice called. I felt lost. No one loved me.

Even Percy, the one I held closest to my heart, had abandoned me as though I were an old, broken toy. I could hear Percy calling my name, but so great was my despair it overwhelmed me, allowing me no rational thought nor any other emotions.

Moments later, I heard large thumps from behind me, like the footsteps of a giant. With a brief cacophony of cries, the _arai_ were silenced, leaving me to my endless misery. In the next instant, my afflictions disappeared without a trace by the touch of a large, warm hand.

"Thank you, Bob" I said with gratitude, peering upward to look at him with a smile.

As I surveyed the damage, my eyes locked on Percy, his form unmoving among the piles of monster dust.

Fear obvious in my voice, I asked quietly, "Can you heal him?" Bob walked to Percy, picking him up with surprising gentleness, "I can't heal all wounds, but I have friend who can.".

Unsure of who this "friend" might be, I asked, "Who?" "Giant." Bob said simply. "A giant?" I repeated, uncertain whether I had heard right. I exclaimed "Giants are awful!" In a reassuring tone, Bob stated "There is always a good one."

I begged to differ, but we proceeded onward, silently, until we saw the footprints of the

drakon.

 **So this is my first ever chapter of any fanfiction ever! Aren't you thrilled? This is where author's notes will usually go. Make sure to review and stuff. Not really familiar with this website so I don't know how it works. :-p**


	2. Chapter 2: Where it Began

Annabeth stopped for a second. She'd lots of experience with drakons, none of them pleasant.

"Bob… She began in an accusatory toe, "Who exactly is this giant?"

Bob glanced back confidently at Annabeth, "A friend who will help Percy." he replied, not a trace of doubt in his voice. Annabeth decided she would trust his judgement. After all, they had no other options. Annabeth didn't like how much she'd been relying on others during this journey. If she could get her hands on a weapon, she might be of some use. Lost in thought, Annabeth didn't notice they entered a clearing until she ran into Bob, who stopped abruptly.

"What now?" she questioned, looking about the area. She observed a tree that seemed to be growing from the gaping mouth of a drakon skull. She felt panic rise in her throat at the sight. Had Bob been lying to them about help? What he bringing them to their brutal deaths?

Annabeth's panic only increased when she heard the Maeonian drakon's screeching call as its elegant body tore into the clearing. Glittering scales blurred past her on their way toward a hut Annabeth hadn't seen previously.

Out of the hut came a giant, roaring as he uprooted the tree impaling the dry skull. He turned to the Maeonian drakon and pierced its gullet with the tree. The giant caused the tree's roots to grow deep into the ground once more, karate chopping the drakon's neck to finish it off. The drakon was dead, leaving various pieces behind as spoils. The giant grumbled, disappointed at what had been left. When he finished, he walked over to Bob, leaving the drakon's body to dissolve into dust.

"Iapetus! Hello!" the giant exclaimed as he reached Bob.

"Hello Damasen." the titan spoke calmly, as though witnessing Damasen destroy a drakon with his bare hands was business as usual. "I have brought friends."

"So you have." Damasen replied, "Although the one on your shoulder doesn't seem to be doing well."

Annabeth didn't have time for small talk. "Bob said you can heal him, so can you?" she interrupted. Damasen glanced at her and led them to his hut.

* * *

As he lead his new guests toward the hut, Damasen's mind was at work. The mortal boy was transitioning. Into what, Damasen didn't know. With that knowledge, he had to make a choice. He could keep him alive, or let him die, a decision that could not be made lightly. In the boy's weakened state, his power was hard to gauge, but he had caught a waft of salty air as Iapetus carried him through the door. He was probably a descendant of Poseidon, which could mean a great amount of power or none. This left Damasen at a crossroads once more.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the girl asked "Can you heal him or not?" in a rude tone. He realised the conscious two had been watching him.

"Aah, Iapetus promised, didn't he? He needs to be careful of making promises on other's behalf. " He warned lightly. Apparently, the girl didn't notice the lightness in his voice ad scowled.

"What? Is gorgon's blood too difficult for you?" she baited, obviously trying to get help without seeming weak. Damasen mumbled irritably and got to work. Within ten minutes, he had created the antidote. He fed it to the boy, unsure of whether he had made the right decision. He had noticed, even as he was giving the antidote, that the demigod was being surrounded by a strong aura that got more and more malevolent as time went on.

 **Hey! It's me again. Chapter two is finished and I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Feel free to offer any critiques, I appreciate them all a lot! I hope it wasn't too difficult to tell that I switched perspectives, I was a little nervous about that. And thank you to everyone who has offered me reviews thus far, your ongoing support is so wonderfully appreciated!**


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